Meeting # 887: Theme – Your Vote Counts
Being evacuated during the table topics session because a croissant was stuck in a toaster next door in the restaurant causing the smoke detectors to flare up, didn’t deter Boaters Toastmasters today. Such impromptu disruption had the session continue out in the venue car park as we are both a resilient and adaptable bunch. Even with the echo of sirens, a flashing fire engine and men and women in uniform going about their business.
Speaker 1 John McVicar and ‘Don’t Let Them Do This to You’ persuasive words of wisdom came with skeletal images of spines both vertical and horizontal cross sectioned (how they do that was fascinating – still aren’t any the wiser). There was a spine with a plate and screws and the same spine with another plate and screws only to learn, the surgery to fix leg pain wasn’t necessary! Two bits of advice, stay active as you de-generate into old age and secondly, ‘don’t let them do what they did to you.’ John is happy to provide you the lay persons meaning to ‘spondylolisthesis.’
Speaker 2 Terelle Hegarty and ‘Diminish Dirt & Magnify the Magic.’ We learnt that we work approx., 92,000 hours over our lifetime which explains why a number of you are grumpy. However, if we change our perspective to embrace it as being an opportunity and a means to ‘give’ to other people, imagine how those hours will fly by. The key is to always find magic in your hours and magnify them versus dishing out dirt on behaviours of our fellow workers during the hours. Gossiping is not included except if you are the dirt’s originator! A congrats to Terelle as this was her 10th CC speech making her competent. Yay.
Speaker 3 Vivien Cowey and ‘My Time Here is Done.’ If you want to enact revenge on any person who caused you grief during your time here in this life, the best time is between you passing and before you are either buried or cremated! Vivien shared instances how her ‘mother’ did exactly that after her passing. That and announcing that Vivien has 101 ways to kill a cat as they weren’t immune to being revenged upon neither. This humorous speech had some serious messages – I’m going to need 21 days or so after I pass and before I’m cremated!
Toastmaster of the Day Alannah Vickery brought the meeting to an end with the audience voting on who the best speaker was. It fitted in with her theme that our votes count and the supportive history of how voting plays a significant part in democracy; and that it is a personal choice we shouldn’t ignore by not raising the hand when we are asked to.
I voted for VJ but he wasn’t even on the ballot paper.
It was a ‘savvy’ meeting, that being our Grammarian Jenne’s word of the day.
Read More#872 Overcoming Challenges
Greeted by our Sergeant at Arms Mo, there is always a reflective grin when you see the whites of a beaming smile. Thank you to our visitors Courtney, Gillian, Brooke and David.
Denise was our Toastmaster. It’s always exciting to see a person step up to the plate, take a swing with the role and smash it out of the ballpark! To regenerate is to rejuvenate and the passion for our still broken city was woven to connect all the speakers that followed. The meeting had fantastic flow, great job Denise.
Another first time for a newbie Toastmaster at getting up in front of the crowd was Hayden who amplified the word of the day ‘rejuvenate.’ To make something young or restore to a former state had many in the audience discussing face potions later during the break. For some of us it was what putty!
Natalie launched into her speech ‘Nothing is What It Seems’ using a stick for a prop. One must see the big picture whereby a stick defined is two ends separated by a bit in the middle and the reference to rehabilitating a woofie after it ate a meowie. Or two. That bit was less ca’s -chy!
Danny the computer door salesman and ‘What is an Ultra Panel?’ Simple, watch the trends, push the limits, be a leader versus a follower and have a sense of humour to name a few. Most importantly, beg for forgiveness rather than ask for permission.
Roydon’s camp fire story about his role model Charlie had the guest make comment at how engaging it was to be lost in translation. Or captured by the skill and prowess that Roydon used to captivate us with, “Growing up is not about expecting you to conform to what other people expect of you.” Roydon took away the ‘toastie’ award of the day.
Table topics lead by David C had robbers; recreating yourself; what old music would you like to see revived; and how would you revive either a pet budgie, dog or horse. Guest participation was exemplary and the demonstration of doing mouth to mouth on a pet dog certainly had been practiced before.
All the evaluators – Anton; Alannah; Steve; Terrelle and Alanna (GE) shared things that worked and things that could be worked on for the speakers and fellow members doing the introductions. Add Louise who rattled out the overs and under’s times amplified one of the quotes of the day.
Quotes of the day by Alanna were: “Stop being a hog” referring to those who steal time from others by going overtime; and her “Mark dresses himself at the front a lot” referring to Mark dressing himself a lot at the front.
“Please come back” was echoed in the meeting somewhere. Just come to a meeting. It just might
Read MoreMeeting 835 – 29th July 2016
Never thought I would be involved as support for a marathon. Ended up being a half marathon so I needn’t of worried about being able to last the distance. Mark Glanville was tested early as Sergeant at Arms; the room was locked but Mark came through and we started on time. Grant Beattie was Toastmaster and had a theme of ‘New Adventures’. Grant had personal info relating to the theme for each speaker that was used in his introductions, a nice touch.
Being a ½ marathon, four speakers were lined up. First off was Daniel McKirdy with ‘Silver Linings’ (CCM Project 3). Great speech where Dan talked about what is happening in his life and there is plenty going on. For a start he has recently started his own insurance business and talked about the stresses and strains of doing this. It was capped off with Dan announcing he is now a first time dad! Congratulations Dan, we wish you all the best.
Next was David Cooper with ‘Success by Meditation’ (CCM Project 10). This speech got me thinking. David encouraged us to use the power of positive meditation. Imagination goes hand in hand with meditation and we often do this without realising it. David encouraged us to stay focused and challenged us to meditate on good things as this will open our hearts.
Third speaker was Charlene Hails with ‘Zambezi 1, Charlene 0’ (CCM Project 5). After raw adventure, excitement and a challenge? Go white water rafting down the Zambezi, it ticks all three boxes. Awesome scenery, people and treks to and from the river. Do you want to take on Creamy White Buttocks, Three Ugly Sisters & The Mother, then this ride is for you. The way Charlene described the rapids, like being on a roller coaster and feeling the water under the boat, being capsized and having to look for people and paddles, great fun! Perhaps running a marathon would have been less demanding. Felt like I was there, can I tick this off my bucket list?
Last up, Garry Musson with ‘To Shoot or Not to Shoot’ (Non-manual speech). Garry faces a dilemma. The culprits have been warned but keep offending, what is one to do? Shoot them! Sounds drastic but Garry took us through the problems he is having with Pukeko’s. Puke’s are destructive and aggressive and are actually classified as pests. They decimate his ducks and geese, not to mention the garden. Garry took no pleasure in shooting one but has 29 left! Even though he is mortified at having to take drastic action, he will harden up and take the fight to them. Good luck Garry, let us know the outcome sometime.
Being a ½ marathon we had time for 5 Table Topic speakers with David Clarkson standing in for Danny who was sick.
Thanks to the rest of the support crew, Evaluators Jenn Chowaniec, Mark Glanville, Kevin Cusack and Brent Chatterton, Table Topics Evaluator Helen McLeod and Time Keeper Alannah Vickery.
Read MoreFriday 13 June
Claire Ruru
Read MoreBoaters Toastmasters Friday 30 May
We had a large group of 28 people at our Friday morning meeting. Brent Ruru was Toastmaster and the theme was:
“If time and money were no object, what would you do with your life?”
Brent regaled us with some fantastic quotes throughout the morning:
– “Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries”
– “People spend money they don’t have, on things they don’t need, to impress people they don’t like”
– Making money isn’t hard in itself. What is hard is doing so while doing something worthwhile”
Speaker 1 was Nathan Najib with his icebreaker speech entitled “Who is Nathan Najib?”
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